Friday, November 28, 2008

Cry, my beloved city

Please don’t utter another word about the ‘Spirit of Mumbai’. Or how it is ‘Business as usual’, because the time to be philosophical/stoical about our shattered lives is over. Initial numbness has been replaced by rage and sorrow. Those policemen did not have to die. Those innocents need not have been killed. Mumbai’s abject humiliation at the hands of a few misguided youth, is complete. And there are no answers – how? Why? Gabbar Singh’s menacing question, “Kitney aadmi the?” may never get the correct response from a cowardly and evasive administration that has once again let down the people of this megapolis .It is not about a numbers game. It is about the powerlessness that has paralysed what is considered one of the most dynamic cities in the world.Mumbai today is a city in a coma…. One it may never recover from. Dazed and desperate. As I write this, a mere half a kilometre away from both the hotels targeted by the terrorists, my heart aches, my eyes are heavy, and my throat painfully constricted. Strange how a monumental tragedy affects individuals. Our first thoughts are about the safety of our own – are those we love okay? Yes??? Thank God! Selfish emotions dominate our actions – as they did mine…. I’m ashamed to admit. My husband and I were at a sitdown dinner in another 5-Star hotel, a few miles from the Taj and Trident. This was unusual in itself…. The newly-opened Four Season’s is outside the ambit of hard -core South Mumbaiwallas like ourselves. But this was no ordinary occasion. The French Ambassador was hosting an evening for Nadir Godrej who had recently received a French civilian honour. Yashodhara, a beautiful chanteuse from Delhi, had just started to croon throatily, when Amrita, Simi Garewal’s sister, came to our table to whisper they’d received a call about a terrorist attack at the Oberoi and Taj hotels. Five minutes later, while all of us were desperately calling our contacts for grim confirmations, we heard two loud blasts –terror came directly at us…. the sound hit me in the solar plexus…. and there was no place to run. Top cops advised us to stay put. But our children were at home!!!! Stay put. Stay put. They repeated. The streets are unsafe, roads blockaded, police vans hijacked…. there are armed maniacs on the loose hurling hand grenades and firing randomely into the crowd with lethal automatic weapons. Now they are attacking hospitals!! Oh no…. they’ve blown up a petrol pump!! Yes. The one close to our home. Look….. the Taj is on fire! CST …. OH MY GOD…. They are moving rapidly …. the airport is next, and the Marriott. It was like being cast in a macabre, surrealistic horror film . But one without a director to call, “Cut’’. The sight of the Taj burning, is the one that will remain forever etched on my mind – a ghastly and tragic reminder of this city’s vulnerability…. and also it’s grandeur. That is where I was courted, got married.The place I consider my second home. Taj is family. That is where my daughter is getting married ten days from now… or that was the dream…. the plan.Till last night.Today, that beloved heritage building – Mumbai’s pride and joy - is a monument to death and destruction. The Taj has always been an inspiring emblem of India’s defiance and glory when it was built in 1903 by a great son of Mumbai, Sir Jamshedji Tata, to let the British know that there can be a magnificent hotel built by Indians, for Indians. As I watched the flames engulfing the top floor, my tears flowed for those incredibly brave men and women from the hospitality industry who performed such a stupendous job, along with the others, in saving as many lives as possible. The terrorists picked their targets well – by hitting Mumbai’s most-loved symbols of wealth and prosperity, cosmopolitanism and progress, they succeeded in their mission of demonstrating to the world just how simple it is to attack iconic institutions and hold a teeming metropolis to ransom.Yes. My daughter will get married. And yes,the ceremony will be at the Taj - burnt…. but not bowed. We will always love it. Terrorists may destroy a structure. But our souls are our own.

I watched in horror as the news reports rang through our homes and offices. Even as far out as I am in South Africa, the terror resonated.The bizarre is being normalised. This has become a regular occurrence. Gosh. There's a death count of number of innocents and number of cops killed. What is this, from the Wild West to the Inferno Ridden East?!

And later this evening, ND-TV broadcast your comment. I salute you! For the courage to say it like it is, for we often feel that voices of reason and reproach for lack accountable disaster relief structures are being silenced. So much for democracy, I said. Then, I heard you tonight and thought: Hats off to Shobaa D! Of course you're angry. Of course yours is the voice of thousands of Mumbaikars. And Indians. And civilians the world over.

It is the soul of a nation voiced by daughters (and sons) of the soil such as yourself that will persevere. But it still doesnt make this right. It has to STOP!

Remember what the Joker said in The Dark Knight "Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order & everything becomes chaos".

Surprisingly, that is exactly what happened in yesterday's attack

- Striking several places at the same time- giving choice to the police to the police of saving one or the other- Hijacking police vehicles, - hitting on hospitals- just like the Joker they thrive on only 2 things Guns & Madness- and both these things come quite cheap to them....

Now lets not think about the joker as a person but as a mentality...

The Joker predicts... when the chips are down, these civilized people, they'll eat each other.

And this is precisely what we should not fall to.I am not trying to make a political or a religious or regional statement.

This is a call to all citizens of this great city... we will not bend & we will not be scared & quoting Naseeruddin Shah from "A Wednesday"..." Koi M*******d, button dabake ye nahi tai karega ki mujhe kab aur kaha marna hai"

I'll still work here, I'll still visit malls, I'll still go to multiplex, I'll still go to restaurents, I'll still go to Nariman Point... I will live on my terms...this is my city...& I love to live in my city....

De, I can barely speak. My voice is chocked. I cant. I cant speak today blogdost, and neither can I read your blogpost completely. My mind is full... and my phone is ringing. I dont know, whose death and whose injury Is there going to be an enquiry about.

I started the www.MumbaiTerrorHelpline.Blogspot.com to help people in distress.. I have posted a post there..

HERE IT GOES...

How the hell did these terrorists enter from the seas. ? can anyone enter like that, without being seen? WAO. (pun intended)How on earth did they walk so calmly with arms and that too, arm in arm?. Why did we buggers see them and not do anything… ? Did we think that the guns are toys from leo mattel?

We believe that Guests are god… don’t we… god damn id.

See their state, see them travel from the 5 star residence to the roofless sky…

Response to the stimuli Or reaction only when there is action…. We will not act… only react, isn’t it… How many bomb blasts, how many deaths, how many blemishes would it take for us to preempt terror… especially when there has been a spate of terror attacks? When will we wake from our sleep and when we will get up and scream.

We have been far too silent… and our act of cowardice and numbness is called “resilience”

I just saw an interview of Mr. prime Minister, who was reading a speech drafted by his secretary. He didn’t seem to believe in even one word or syllable of what he said. And would have thios been averted if it was some other politician like say an advani.…. NO. Terrorists have no religion.. And if there is something that politicious RELIGIOSLY work for, that is Poll agenda and personal propaganda. Does anything else matter?. I( hear that Advani and Manmohan singh are coming to Mumbai. WHY! Will they get the dead alive… ? will they change take some path breaking action… ?(But, There are no paths left now) Or do you want to tell us “the situation is under control< people are safe” WE are NOT safe… and you ministers will come for your show, and some freaking fools will get fooled and believe you care. (And what kind of people are these who get fooled… With no spine of their own)Politicions.

Politicos, We don’t want you to come to Bombay. We don’t need you. We can manage ourselves. You would come take a 1000 people for your security and leisure.

Be where you are.You will definitely get channels and papers to interview… Probably you could do a chroma shoot and then replace the backdrop to Marine Lines or Gateway of India. It is not about which politicion.. It is about attituude that forms the DNA of any Politician.

And No.,.. don’t feel sorry.

For that’s what we have been doing for long. Get up. Ask for real answers. Speak up Mumbai. Speak up Bombay. Let’s help our people, and our guests who came here to our beloved country.

I sweared that I will shed no tear until I wiped a hundred. But I cant help it.My heart is heavy. And I am in a pool of tears. Not because I fear or think that worst is yet to come. But Because…. I want to vent it out… and start a fresh to move on, and pick another call of distress. To speak hope and to say to myself. Your Loved one is safe. Your Loved one is safe. Your loved one is safe.

How on Earth can we entertain the Foreign Minister of Pakistan tomorrow?Can we not tell him as it is- that we have work to do, and these meetings can wait???when will we show some spine?shobha, we wait for you to tell it like it is...let there be a public flag march telling these hypocritical politicians to leave us alone!!let us tell Pakistan that "enough is enough".it is time to stop this pretence of politeness..when will India learn her lessons??living in Bahrain, I am outraged...I have not slept for two days and nights...but it appears our esteemed politicians have hearts that are as thick as their skin! rashmi

i saw your interview on NDTV and u expressed what was on the mind of a lot of Mumbaikars... how long are we just going to sit back and watch nameless creatures burn the city we all love so much.... is this the spirit of Mumbai or plain indifference... how many 7/11 and 26/11's more would we have to face... we have to find answers and NOW...

i heard you talk about initiating some movement, some force which finally empowers the Mumbaikar to voice his opinion... afterall we are the ones who have to decide whether this is the kind of future we want to have... i request you to please take an initiative in this direction... im sure there are many more willing to save the city we all love with all our heart.

Now that this all has been done with, I think the Government will be doing some serious rethinking on their national security policies and will take utmost disciplinary actions.

There are some steps that could be taken which are suggested as follows-

1. Bringing back POTA (Prevention Of Terrorism Act) ASAP- banned by UPA, was introduced by NDA2. Ban on SIMI (and any Supreme Court judge that counters this from the bench)- ban was lifted by UPA, initial ban was imposed by NDA3. Bolstering perimeter security with naval blockades outside Chennai, Bangalore, Vizag, Calcutta and Cochin4. Establishing a NEW Metro Security Force (MSF) such as that of teams of 'SWAT'-level commandoes of Los Angeles which will replace Mumbai Police in strategic / high-risk areas at the time of such crisis.5. Bringing in electronic surveillance of ALL madrasas and require that ALL citizens have some kind of an identity card (much like PAN cards which has revolutionized the whole Income Tax collection system)6. Putting up live streaming Closed Circuit TeleVision video cameras in major streets (much like London, New York) in major cities7. Establishing a '911' type number for citizens to call-in suspicious activity (24/7 service provided in America in every nook and corner of the country)8. Taking disciplinary action against ANY politician who flames up religious tensions during such times9. Arresting ANY TV news anchor who flames up religious tensions during such crisis

10. Introducing nationwide security agency to address the issue of terrorism (much like the Department Of Homeland Security in America, setup after 9/11 and because of which absolutely no terrorist activity has taken place since then)11. Following steps 1 to 10

I don't know what happened in Gujarat during 2002 and how POTA was (mis)used. I don't even wanna know that.

All I know is POTA has some stringent clauses possible that could scare the shit out of any extremist group.

If you think POTA is against human rights, some substances which are against human rights in the clause list can be amended (I am sure not the whole law is against human rights)

Removal of POTA was what gave people like Teesta Setalvad some strength to wage fight against Narendra Modi, I think she works on behalf of some muslim minority organization in order to alleviate their voices in the society. Teesta Setalvad is a whore!

Well,Apart from that, if not POTA, then why not establishment of certain centrally governed independent security agency- which could be sort of an amalgamation of RAW, CBI, CID, ATS, etc. of our country. Much like how the CIA, the FBI and various others need to report to the Department Of Homeland Security over here.

--77

PS: Could you browse through the blog properly?I have been experiencing some problems that's why asking.

@ 77POTA gives immense power which can be misused.But i agree that govt. should take a lesson from USA and set up something similar to Department Of Homeland Security. It would be a smart move considering the hell that has been let lose on our country in last 2-3 years.

i browsed the blog again..everything is fine for me except that i can't find the link to comment.

I saw ur interview on NDTV earlier tonight...and couldn't wait to come back here to tell you how much I agree with you! I'm angered by what my country has been put through by a bunch of bloodsucking bastards who are cowards in every sense of the word! The blood boils...the heart races...and the eyes weep at the sight we've been made to see time and again!!!

So glad you and ur family are safe. My heart goes out to all those still captured. Mumbai weeps...and we all weep with it...

@ 77the problem with POTA is..It allows law enforcement agencies to withhold the identities of witnesses and treat a confession made to the police as an admission of guilt. Under regular Indian law, a person can deny such confessions in court, but not under POTA!

Shobhaa's NDTV interview has been mentioned by quite a few of you over here. Where can I find it? I checked the NDTV website and it's not been uploaded there...or at least, I haven't been able to locate it.

I live in Delhi now, but I grew up in Mumbai, did my graduation from St. Xavier's ('94-97), and despite not being a 'townie' - I lived in Pali Hill - spent a lot of time at Metro, Sterling, Mondegar and Leopold's. We had bomb blasts here in Delhi a couple of months ago, but somehow, that didn't affect me as much as today's massacre of Mumbai - Cama Hospital, next door to Xavier's - the Malhar line used to stretch till Cama - bunking classes to watch movies at Metro with my friends, dining at Taj with my Dad - these wonderful, beautiful places that I've spent some of the best years of my life at, violated this way - for the first time, despite being in Mumbai even during the '93 blasts, despite the near-monthly blasts across the country, I've really felt 'touched' by terrorism.

I'm here to thank you for your comments on NDTV - thank you for being the ONLY "famous" Indian to ACTUALLY SPEAK OUT and make sense and not spew banal condolenences and politically-correct inanities. Thank you for telling Manmohan Singh just what every self-respecting Indian thinks of his lame-ass speech. Thank you for telling Advani to take a hike. Thank you for bringing up the millions we spend of politicians' security, when our cops do not have even basic protection gear or arms. Thank you for ditching the "spirit of Mumbai" crap that everyone uses to gloss over these tragedies that keep hitting the city again and again and again. Thank you for using the power at your disposal to really make a difference, to speak out for the millions of us that pay nearly 50% of our earnings in some sort of taxes and yet do not have any voice in any matter that concerns us.

I wish you the best for your daughter's wedding. I hope red tape does not prevent you from hosting it at the Taj. I wish more of our celebrities, community and business leaders had your guts to tell it like it is, and not wimp out in fear of politicians.

And my regrets, for those who died, those who live after seeing their loved ones die, the security forces, the support services, for all of us Indians. We deserve better.

Shobhaa i saw your reaction on tv (over internet in seattle wa), i nevefr thought i would ever try to find your contact and try to leave a comment ever. But i am doing it because i share your views exactly how you put it. yes i am away from mumbai but i love mumbai from the bottom of my heart...from its history to its daily beat. And indeed to see a taj burn helplessly was a sad sad sight...s heritage structure burnt and part of it collapsed. you were so right to ask the politicians to not come to mumbai to gain political mileage and also the comment on some of our leaders' robotic speech. They havent even done a good job of communicating with the people and giving them a sense that they are on top of things...probably because they are not. Yes we should not remain calm.

Mam - Just saw your NDTV talk as well on this topic. I can't have put it in a better way - the angst, the despair, the audacity of this entire sequence of events. And like you said 'Enough is Enough' - these insane power and wealth hungry politicians have held this country to ransom for such a long time - enough is enough. Yes - the speech my M Singh was so robotic and so soporfic that I just shut it down. And I am literally teary-eyed at all of this as I write this. Media sensationlism is another thing that I am angry about. Rather than concentrating on actual facts and events, there is so much frigging speculatary reporting being done that again is only going to corrupt the reality.

OMG! I have been following the news updates online and on SAJA radio-blog talks here. The events are truly tragic but thanks to blog-radios, twitter and weblogs, there is atleast some method to information dissemination in this madness.

Double seven - I completely agree with your 10 suggestions and the easiest to implement will be to arrest media/news anchors adding fuel to the fire with their incessant and pathetic reportage.

These are truly turbulent times and it is high time the leaders of our country woke up or gave up their seats.

For those of you here in the US wanting to log onto SAJA forum webcasts, click here:http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/11/breaking-news-terrorists-attack-mumbai-hotels.html

i loved your outburst on NDTV!it was laden with inspiration that, as u rightly put, the PM's speech lacked.thanks for voicing all our feelings, the feelings of the average Mumbaikar. You are the spokesperson of Mumbai. The poster girl of Mumbai :)a Citizen movement is needed! and it will be born for sure!amen.

i am so proud of what you said on television. i am currently in london and my heart broke when i got the tragic news. i heart sank and felt terrible.

i am upset at our infrastructure, our administration. i completely agree with what you said about Manmohan Singh and his speech. its time to come together and not bloody care as to how the two opposition parties are holding hands and trying to fight against this together. the Mumbai spirit will be revived but the anger that has awakened the people of our country is something that is not going to be extinguished easily.

i pray for everyone who has been hurt and has lost someone. it is time to take strict action. to build a stronger adminstration. to fight against corruption.its time for the real awakening.

Watching live on ndtv with no clear results after 24 hours is now getting frustrating. The helplessness is something I have never felt before. Should we talk about the incompetence of our forces to deal with these situations. Should we talk about the ridiculous politicians who just want the 'satta' with no responsibility about it. We lost so many innocent lives including decorated police for about 20-30 people. 150 lives to 30 terrorists??? Its just insane!!! I don't care if they planned and executed this out well, we should have a better job dealing with this. -R

K that is for you-Streamed live from Fox News, but actually is NDTV 24/7

THANKS FOR THAT ALSO ANYWAY.

PS: I think PM Singh's speech was filled with anger, anguish and couldn't have been more emotional. He had to say what he rightfully said. I don't think as Shobhaa suggested it was 'robotic' and ineffective.I think the Government will do now- they know how people must be going through. I suggest that home minister Shivraj Patil surrender his post and spend more time dressing up like a gentleman than spending time ordering for necessary army force to be called up on time. Had the decision of calling army/ NSG commandos taken a bit sooner and without any time-wasting, there could have been lesser casualties- Hemant Karkare, Mr Kamte and Mr Saluskar could have lived. They were just taking a dip in a lethal quick-sand of blood and bullets. They took it too casually and which cost Mumbai Police losing their beloved officers.So basically they shouldn't have risked their lives- they are what causing me to weep even more :(

HOT Conversation topic: thats how it is going to be no matter what you say..a little display of emotions starting from the skin and disappearing in the air which no one ever noticed..yet they call themselves mumbaikars who love their city yet refuse to stand up and do something about it..because then that would be a real struggle. Miles away from the fights..its easy to become a spectator and o'course how can i forget...the NARRATOR..

The sorrow becomes deeper when the sorrow is denied thats how i always believed in...but the thoughts turned into fragments of broken mirage when i heard the MUMBAIKARS..they are the ones who give the sound effects behind the screen for the comic series FRIENDS..with the utter bewilderment comprising of ONLY...."oohh..."..

O'course the news is sad, but every one of us is responsible for the circumstances that have risen for the conditions that prevailed for the long time but we care not to pay attention because lets face we all are too weak to STEP UP, and yea m not talking about your dancing skills on the streets but surely the ringing voice that shivers the very core of this administration to wake them up by the mere sound of thumps of all of us walking on the road that we built to peace.

woooo. how can you say Misguided youth that is really... a misguided thinking shobaji.... they are real Terrorist.. not miguided guided to have 72 virgins in the heaven.. please wakeup I have seen your interview what you said about the politicians is 100 % ok.

Dear ma'am What's happened, and what it has done to us is one story. There is a large population that doesn't feel so strongly. Screw the spirit of mumbai, screw the resilience.There are those that stopped feeling about it after their family mems reached safely. There are those that are still evaluating the whole situation philosophically. There are students having their examinations, who are ACTUALLY 'utilizing' these hours given off and were glad they got more time to prepare. I'd rather keep failing an examination till i turn 60, than having these bastards attacking my city like this.That we are resilient, that we get back to normalcy so soon is NOTHING to be proud of.

there is a ton of GOLD in every statement of philosophy..... sadly i never get paid for that GOLD!!

So also the UNBREAKABLE spirit of MUMBAI... enough is enough. Why should we keep bouncing back from the idiocy of the politicos? Where is Mr.Raj Thackeray now? He was there to confront the taxi drivers... what about the terrorists?

I've been sitting raging and depressed these last couple of nights - LEOs was where we hung out....We went there from school, during college... and now!!It's more to do with the shattered myth of security than anything else. This tragedy has been personal....

Where are our NationKeepers?Where is the National Think Tank?Is the International prosperity dividing us regionally?Have we left everything to public discourses?Have we surrendered our wills to the Politicians?Are we gong to be governed by fragmented Parliament? Regional short term Agenda?Has the time come to have a All Party National Government?Why don’t the Intellectuals train the minds of petty Politicians?What has Failed?What will Work?

Vinod Agarwal - says ask yourself, What can you give away (sacrifice) to put an end to terrorism in India?

Bombay is numb, Vijay Mallya said this was out 9/11. Bullshit. We had out "9/11" before 9/11 even happened. Did he forget Sea Rock, Air India, Prabhadevi?

We've seen it all before and been angry before. The only thing that changes is our degree of desensitization to these occurrences.

Mumbaikars need a channel to focus their anger and frustration, a cause, an organization, a champion. Are you or Suhel Seth or Mr.Alyque Padamsee standing for election? Because if you do you'll have my vote. If not you generate some interesting soundbytes for a few days and it's on to the next round. It's time to stop crying and venting and actually do something with a singular focus, do it while Mumbai is still seething. And it's people of influence like yourself who are in a position to do this.

In all the coverage over the last 48 hours, be it Times of India or the English channels, the 56 or more dead at CST -nearly half the death toll--did not merit more than a cursory mention. The times of india carried the CST massacre story on page 6. The list of injured and dead was available online at 10 p.m. No mention anywhere of the ordinary Mumbaikars who lost their lives taking the local train. Muslims, Maharashtrians and so many other communities all on the list.Shobha De weeps for the Taj. When will someone weep for the working class who have been bombed several times on trains and buses?

I've nothin left to say... U said it....All blogs are up with this topic abt our politicians and the spirit of mumbai n so.....

We write blogs , but see when a Narendra Modi acts tough on terrorists people make such a big fuss abt the issue .... I never ever feel that these terrorists need to be punished out of a judicial enquiry which by the way takes a lifetime to prove their guilt. It is high time we be stringent with terrorists....

I guess, we have got to change mostly with out mindset. Then comes our vote bank politicians and the rest.....

Anyways, my condolences to the victims and salutes for our army and police...

HI Shobha,I follow ur writing/columns very closely and frankly love them more than ur books!!wuts happening to Mumbai every 5 months or 6 is simply unacceptable..I really really wanna know wut is MR. oh- Im-so-Marathi-Raj Thackrey doing at this hour??enjoying a sumptous vada pav meal at some god for saken festival..planning another me marathi shitty attack in december coz he is as hungry for the rotten limelight as these ba****d terrorists..hey Raj "DUDE"..now u can use the waterway too..coz our coastguards are good for nothing impotent anyways..no one will stop u in entering other states also n teach them marathi and easily spread ur wings of terror on all the states...but where r u hiding man???y the fuck dont u come out now..go teach them terrorists ur shit of RESERVATION,MARATHI LANGUAGE,MARATHI job in terrorism for ur fellow dudes n dudettes?? oh well a good new profession for u too after being thrown out of shiv sena..coz thats wut u are.. a bare faced liar n a home bred terrorist..To all the mumbai cops ..u r losers in ur own capacity..Cops in mumbai ended up doing the same job as they do round the year.. managing the crowd..whether it be a festival,an awards function, cricketers arriving at the airport or whether a terrorist attack in hi-profile mumbai..LOSERS at the end..wut kind of a job profile is that pot bellies?? good for nothing VILASRAO DESHMUKH shud be thrown away in the MV ALPHA and packed off to KARACHI..the worst minister of all.. KUDOS to NSG and Army and NAvy and thumbs down to the fucker coastguards and all the MUSLIMS.. mind it all MUSLIMS planning an attack on Mumbai...u r the only non progressive community in the whole world, the most hated coz of ur blow jobs(literally), wut kind of a peace reform du expect when ppl arent even ready to get their daughters n sons married in ur community.. the most cheap one with leaders like Dawood, Abu Salem, Osama...wow..atleast we had Hemant Karkare and the rest whose death is mourned by millions.. ur death is a point of celebration..triumph..victory are synonymous to ur death..BLoody pakistanis..the worst neighbour any country cud get..the worst.. u aint even as big as Maharashtra..wut r u so proud about..the kind of kids u train with AK 47's?? when they r suppose to be running in a playpark with ppl their age n not with mad elders like u..u suck suck suck suck... lick ur ass..suck ur d**k and count ur days till not only Mumbai but whole of India comes to get u!!and ya.. forget KAshmir...was never urs..will never be..

If this Govt. is unable to stop the menace of terrorism the least it could do is to control the TPR hungry media to stop airing the operations of NSG and army and show some sense of responsibility. Such airings alert those rouges.

i cant belive shit like this happens time n again in mumbai.... n all dat ppl talk abt is how mumbai gets back on its feet n allr back 2 normal.... cmon mumbai cant be treated as a punching game or a platform for terrorists 2 demonstrate deir stupid actions evry now & then.... clearly other countries or rather "country" r notin but jealous of how v India n morseo mumbai is doin.... n politicians... seriously screw ur so called shraddhanjali ya..... v dont need dat shit at this point... or how much monies r ul gonna compensate this damage with.... seriously fuck u all!!!! ul r d government ul outta save this country not ball talk all d time.... ya btw whr is raj thackeray??!!!!

However cliched it sounds..MUMBAI SHALL BOUNCE BACK!!We all r standing by the victims of the terror attack..We dont care where Mr. Raj Thackeray is and we dont care who wins the elections..All we know is the Spirit of Mumbai is too strong to let, something as shameful as the series of events going on for the last 40 hrs,us down!!We r on our own..so stand up n fight..It doesnt take too long to blame others,but it takes a lot to be there on the warfield n help the ones affected..So just keep mum n do something!!

hi shobhaa,i do not agree with your views that politicians should keep off the scene.if that was your way of letting out some anger,it is acceptable.democracy means politicians and to badmouth them publicly at a time of crisis is not setting the right example for the youth.politicians work in extremely difficult situations where the people are prone to entertain all kinds of theories against them.some of these politicians also are always involved in double speak.to talk bad about the politicians reveals that you are not connected with the political proceses.it might have been a spur of the moment comment by you and suhel seth as well,in the face of extreme distress,but we have to maintain a dignity in such situations,easier said than done,that i accept.you have to clarify,in your next post,perhaps.

So much pain we all are feeling ... but the pain comes not only from witnessing the entire episode but more from our feeling of helplessness ... helplessness to change the system, helplessness that we have to and continue to tolerate the politicians and their insensitive remarks. We "Mumbaikars" will carry in us this fear for a very long time .. keep looking over our shoulders for terror ... Are the people we think are in control, really in control? Your outrage on NDTV will hopefully not go unnoticed

This shows the 100% failure of the govt. There is no chance of blaming the public for electing their politicians, because people are electing the best from the worst.Even now the govt. is not accepting the failure fighting against terrorism. Until they accept they are not success. This is similar to a deadlock situation.

We agree with every word you said about the politicians .We need a leader like you to spearhead a movement against corrupt politicians who have been dividing people on the basis of caste,religion , region and what else. Our country needs more sensible and qualified leaders who can prioritise issues. And not leaders who try to gain political mileage from anything that happens whether good or bad.One thing seems clear if we dont wake up now then we may already be dead.

I agree with you .. such terror attack that too in such short period of time.. those places where we used to go and spent those happy moments..Its in such a bad shape.. Nobody able to answer.whats going where??. This attack is not on mumbai, its on humanity.. At this moment we are still fighting with the attack and is fight its not yet over .. many people are still fight at taj and nariman house.. Our so called politician are giving advertisement in paper to change government ... They have crossed all limits of being shameless for power.. How sick is that.. I heard you last night on NDTV.. you were so right a common need more security and peace of life. .. I wish things get normal like before..

Shamma Noorani (Ehsaans sister) had asked me to contact you on an entirely different matter. That is not important now.

I read the story of the sequence of events that you have faced personally at this very surreal experience in Mumbai i,n my local newspaper. I am due to travel to Mumbai and I shall because I want to say that fear is not the answer...neither is politics...the answer is for the people to take the responsibility now...because the people are the ones who bleed.

I do believe our country, India is on the verge of great change and no change ever happened without a great amount of pain. I hope that people like you who are in a sphere of influence are part of that change.

We are NOT soft on terror because when we are hit we seem to find our sense of direction.

We are SOFT on the political system which is a breeding ground for the lowest scum that society produces. Gangsters, murderers, and worse are picked up by parties to represent them in elections. As a result we are constantly at the mercy of these people who should either be terminated or permanently be put away. Instead they are honored by our so called politicians. Who then do a double speak when it comes to tragedy. Mumbai is a precedent of politics and lackadaisacal system at work.

We have seen this in India earlier on where a religious person was nurtured to serve a political purpose and we all know what happened. The unforgiving situation which touched people in the street as a backlash that goes beyond the Jallainwala Bagh massacre! The same story has been repeated globally. Nuture a tyrant for selfish motives and then when he gets too big for his boots then act all self righteous and go after them. Recent global history is replete with examples of this.

Clean up the political system TOTALLY by putting away the street corner thug and move up the ladder to the top, remove all the criminals and try them. Make every politician from the panchayat level sit for a UPSC examination and attend a selection board. Why does this system apply for everything else but not for good governance? Which is the most important thing. This way we will get rid of the uneducated,low-lives and have a mentally, socially, emotionally and intelligent set of leaders and governance from the ground up!

This terrorism thing will get solved only after that!

Arm the population so that when things like this happen the GOOD citizen can react immediately...if people are armed these people will have to really think twice before they plan anything...

A few weeks ago I said the way politics is being played in this country we are headed for anarchy....this is just the beginning...it is a anarchy in its clearest form where the law is not allowed to run its course without politicians twisting things to their advantage...National Security isn't their concern...winning an election is.

The nexus of so called 'international' and 'underworld' further assures me that this is' in spirit' a domestic matter being given international twist...I don't trust people who appear on TV talking about unity and all, that is all a facade. It is all about finding justification for a changes in governments. I say we still pursue the current ATS case with added vigour and get to the bottom of that issue we owe it to the ATS people who have lost their lives in this surreal mishap for the country.

CALL TO ACTION:

>> First and foremost:

WE NEED TO RETIRE POLITICIANS at 60 or even 55 as we would any other public servant. Thereafter their opinions or participation in active politics should end they should take up some hobby. Social work. Period.

>> Second:

NO political party should use the Indian tri colors as their party flag. Would anyone be allowed to use the tri colors with another symbol as a party flag? I f not what gives anyone else the privilege. NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED...ANYONE.

>> Third:

We need a two party system not a conglomeration of partys that work to split votes and the country along religious, caste and regional lines. Then make money later in horse trading. We need a country run and administrated by the Armed forces, because politicians seem to behave and act above the law. When the law is running its course and the shoe is on the other foot they incite people along religious lines to divert attention from what is an important issue and the army invariably has to come and bail them out of a mess that has its root in some political goof up from the past. The Babri Masjid case still causes ripples on the tender canvas of India's body politic.

>> Fourth:

We need to weed out the criminal elements who infest our political system. The dependence on thugs and goons who start their lives from street corners are then elevated to MLA status and then enter the big league. Our political system is full of illiterate low lives who thrive on coercion...and are selfishly nutured nurtured by politicians to keep themselves in power. Is it any wonder then that the major segment of the educated middle caste and youth don't even involve themselves in politics or even vote. By association politics is a filthy word that no self respecting person wants to engage in.

>> Fifth:

We must make it mandatory that any politician has to do the equivalent of a UPSC examination to get into politics at the grass roots level...that way we will create an educated intelligent breed of people to govern down the line. The young generation of politicians should be given a common platform where in the unite the youth of the country and take over. The old order is over let the new order join the ranks of decision makers this country and our time needs them.It is time for the next generation to take over. Today's young Indian is educated,has had enough of dirty politics and is ready for change.

>> Sixth:

We need to get rid of these old senile twisted politicians who can do nothing but excite communal tension to serve their own devious goals...and hold on to power at any cost.

>> Consider this:

Political parties should not interfere when the government agencies are doing their job...NO ONE is above the law...by recruiting criminals and murderers into their parties it clearly shows what our political system is based on. Phoolan Devi given a seat, some don in Mumbai given a seat, the Orissa guy who burnt alive three humans given a political seat. This is Indian politics and it is disgusting.

As an Indian I am ashamed of this, very ashamed. Instead of keeping criminals inside under lock and key for the scum that they are, our political system elevates, glorifies them and injects them into mainstream politics and governance. Placing them in the corridors of power that affect normal peoples lives. Thew system is rotten tyo the core. How do we have responsible governments if this is the case? Think about that.

>> Last word:

If all else fails India may well become the next country where counter vigilante movement that cleans up things if governments don't do it. It is time for the people to wake up since apparently the politicians rather sleep!

The nation has watched the terror on Tv and we will read the head lines after another two or three days that Mumbai has bounced back to normalcy.And normalcy means :-

Raj Thakerey will again let loose his goons to bash up 'uttar bhartiyas', regardless of the fact that so many of them have laid down their lives in saving the honour of "majhi Mumbai".

Other politicians will also put the dastardly incident behind and will waste no time in jumping into the 'dhobi ghat' to wash their dirty linen.

And then it will take another incident like this to bring them to make statements "we will not tolerate such terror activities on our soil" so on and so forth.

This incident caught the attention of the world community because it happened in the commercial capital of the country and also in posh hotels where foreigners are lodged. Otherwise such incidents are routine in plcaes like Kupwara, Baramula and Uri.

You are so right.. its time to hold politicans accountable instead of letting them off the hook by graciously evoking the 'Spirit of Mumbai' . Let's put the onus of responsibility where it belongs. Look at the US.. George Bush may have been the worst President in the history of that country on many counts. But FACT is: Have you heard of a single terror attack in that country post 9/11?? LET US LEARN FROM THE UK AND THE US AND EVOLVE A MODEL SIMILAR TO THEIRS TO PROTECT OURSELVES . THERE'S NO SHAME IN SEEKING THEIR HELP IN TERMS OF SECURITY RELATED EXPERTISE.

HAIL TERRORISTS. They succeeded . They indeed. Their bosses would be holding their heads high right now.

And what else we can do apart from talking it here. We are not authority. Those who are authorities (CM n Home Minister) are busy updating their bosses at the Center of the status. Why the hell they were not present at the site within hours of it?

Why are we subjected to the usual statements made by these authorities which we all know by heart now. I condemn the attack. They will be taken to task. Government will not spare the culprits. We need to make them aware we are not weak and blah blah. F*** Them.. F*** these authorities. They can't do more than issuing these statements.

Police finds RDX, Coast guard finds an abandoned boat. Why the f*** they did not find earlier? Why the hell they did not stop them from entering the city? Who will give answer to this?

We do not want to know whether you condemn the attack or what you bloody do later. What have you done so far to stop these things to happen? How many more lessons to be learnt?

Why the hell Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and State Home Minister RR Patil have not resigned in shame? WHY?

People will go on living. Mumbaikars will be celebrated for their typical 'Mumbaikar Spirit' all over again. For what purpose? Average Mumbaikar doesn't have any spirit left inside him/her.

And our PM is freaking just the puppet in the hands of Madame Sonia. His statement after the attack is a slap on our face. He is a shame. And it wont stop there. Opposition will make that agenda for the upcoming elections. Oh, BJP is already doing that today in Delhi for elections 2 days down the line.WOW, Mera Bharat Mahaan

Where the hell is Raj Thackeray now? Why is he hiding? Who the hell is saving his 'marathi manoos' now? Its the NSG, Commandos and their likes. Why cant he now accept that we are Indian first then whatever.. In which hole is hiding now?

There are so many WHYs n HOWs... And like you all I can do is say it here, there or anywhere.. We are the JUST THE STUPID AAM AADMI.

@V, I see you mentioning Israel. Well, thats about it. Israel bloody cannot stand it and goes on bombing as if it's game for them. And US sits n watched. Cuz bloody half of the US economy is run by those Jews.

But, if India does the same, US and bloody every f***ing nation worth its salt will condemn India's attack on a particular neighboring nation and whats strange is India will nod in unison. F**k It man.. There is just one solution. Go Bloody NUKE PAKISTAN. Yes, Lets accept it and nuke that darn country. I might be sounding cynical but that's what I option I am left with to think of.

What a mess Bombay [and India] is !! Corrupt and the most selfish of politicians. And who really needs to take the blame for this ? The Indian people of course. We vote and keep them in power. By the way what about the rich business houses and the mega celebrities. How much money do they need to make before they think about something else but their egos and wealth. People in the US for example also make money, but at least they take an ACTIVE stance to get the right person to lead the country - Obama. What is India coming to …not that we actually have EVER had a true selfless politician. Its just absolute crap that in the 21st century we cannot get up from our narrow-mindedness and need to self-gratify our egos by making more money for the most part [and thus buying more than our next-door neighbors]. I know sounds harsh but honestly. We have Bollywood celebrities who are known to pal around with the underworld for their movies to be financed. And of course thus they cannot afford to take the most proactive role to talk about these attacks. Then there are the rich folks in India. The successful businessman that makes a 40 story building with 2500 servants and his 50 cars who has all the power in the country. What does he do to improve the state of leadership in India?? Nothing !!

We are a hardworking country but unfortunately leave too much to faith and GOD. We are so paralyzed to find any TRUE leadership elected in the nation, we have been playing second fiddle to China. And no point calling us the largest democracy when the people who are voting are not educated or really making the right choice. And we can convince ourselves that everything will be alright and that our economy is one of the fastest growing, but that is just self-denial. We are so far behind on so many important counts - infrastructure, education for the masses, poverty and health [AID bomb ticking away]. And all this is to really blame on the screwed up political parties we have. Really guys and girls please wake up and start accepting this or nothing good is going to come out of this tragic terrorist attacks. I mean talking about how resilient we are and as I am hearing Sushil Jiwarajka talk how well our stock market has fared today!! Is this really a barometer of what just happened ??? You know we can accept all this and talk up ourselves [and I accept that optimism is good], but come on!! Not to make light of this situation, but we are in desperate need of the help being extended by Interpol and the FBI to get this tragedy properly investigated.

And with no disrespect but Manmohan Singh speaking like a immobile puppet is not going to really scare these militants - don’t fool yourself that it will. The people on international TV are talking about our resilience but trust me they are trying to be polite and sympathetic. If this was their country, they would be more pragmatic. PLEASE tell me they are some, if not a lot of my Bombayites who agree with my harsh criticism here ??

By the way I am very upset by the innocent lives that have been lost in these attacks, but I am trying to paint the bigger picture here. That as a city [and a country] when do we wish to wake up? Sure we can denounce the attacks, investigate, pray for the injured, etc. But the real important thing is when do we as a country stand up to improve the nation as a whole. And when does one big name [be it in Business or Bollywood - as they are the only voices that are really loud enough to be heard] stand up for something that is right [and take a break from making their next crore of rupees] ???

Problem is how we get the majority of India to wake up ?? I can understand the below average income earner. But the tragedy lies in our upper class and middle class as well. They do not want to see the bigger picture … they are happy with their ego-gratifying lifestyle UNTIL they have to pay the price … and sadly enough the 4 terrorist attacks in India this year will lay the foundation for the terrorists accepting that India is easy prey. You see India ultimately is born from the great Mahatma Gandhi - epitome of non-violence and tolerance. Nothing wrong as long as the leadership at the top is strong and LOYAL to the country. However, you cannot find a single political-associated person that honestly CARES for the nation. Don’t let all these Sonia Gandhis et al fool you … they care about their power trip. Sad and I do not know whether we have enough intelligentsia to actually get out of this Black Hole. Do not kid yourself that just because we are the largest democracy we shall be fine!! No sir … that’s exactly the lull which serves to stunt our potential growth.

Shobha De, on NDTV said to Barkha Dutt, “Enough is Enough”…..She voiced the sentiments of the Mumbaikars….she told how & what we all think of our spineless PM & his useless rhetoric, and the other politicians in line. There was no mincing of words. I salute you Shobha De, for being so vocal, so passionately in love with this city. It takes courage to say that the first thought that crossed your mind was the safety of our own kin, your family….selfish alright, but blatant truth. It takes courage to speak of your tryst with Taj, how you got courted & later married at the Taj. Your plans to get your daughter married at the same place, ten days from now, come what may. “Burnt, but not bowed”. I sincerely wish it all comes true…..because it is Love that will emerge stronger & take us out of all this mindless chaos & destruction. How I wish people like you come up as leaders for the cause of our Nation. You have our full support.

I saw your interview to NDTV and I am sure that no politican would ever do such a thing. Z category security for them while our finest men die due to lack of resources and planing. Its so sad.

But what can we do about this?? We should stop mourning and demand what we need. If we don't have the power we need to make the crucial decisions then lets try to get the power that is needed.

We complain about our politicians, If they are corrupt and inefficient, why not we ourselves get into politics. Doing social service is good, but when you have the power you can do it in a much better and profound way.

I hope more youngsters with heart come into politics.I surely will, though I am not succeed but what matters to me is that I at least tried.I time we woke up and stand united.

Nuclear warfare is obviously a stupid decision!considering the fact that even Pakistan is nuclear nation.However, India can join hands with the US, to hunt down the fidayeens and the mujahideens hiding in deep-down tribal areas of Pakistan.

I think India will not stay put. They have hard evidence pointing fingers at Pakistan-

Situation against Pakistan will remain volatile in the past coming days, with a possiblity of a war-like reaction against its sovereignty.PM Manmohan Singh through his speech yesterday had indicated that there must be some link between the terrorists and their bases in Pakistan.

PM Gilani has categorically denied such allegations however.

Defense Minister of India Pranab Mukherjee claims that the NSG commandos who are carrying out operations at Nariman House, The Oberoi and The Taj Mahal hotels have HARD EVIDENCE pointing fingers towards ISI-funded British-Pakistani community living in the UK funded Lashkar-e-Toiba!

Attacks on the Indian Parliament in December of 2001 by the same group had almost created a war-like situation between the two countries.

There is hard evidence that the terrorists came from province of Punjab in Pakistan as which could be clearly seen by the way they spoke Punjabi.

"We will always love it. Terrorists may destroy a structure. But our souls are our own."

Isn't this the spirit of mumbai ? you did not wanted to talk about the first line ? ... it's a fact not an expression .. the same spirit would have been replaced by fear and extreme changes in day to day life in many parts of the world .. mumbai lives through all this .. and it's special ..you know that ...

the terror part of terrorism is not powerful in mumbai .. they can create chaos .. may be a little fear but no terror .. its a failed attempt ..just well tried ..

I was so touched to read your account of being told of the attacks, it was as though I was there...it upset me, I felt your shaky hands on the keyboard, felt the fear.

But dear lady, to call the Taj an "iconic institution" is ridiculous. It's a hotel dedicated to the hedonistic demands of a culture gone wrong. Please don't spew such grandiose sentiments toward such a thing. It is no doubt a beautiful building, but if it is iconic, it only means that your society has become not the spiritual leaders of the world, but an iconoclastic chaser of all things mundane and materialistic.

I was wondering, what government is going to answer the people-"What next?". Evil has to be punished. Is life os those who choose to kill, more important than innocent lives? No... Stop all this Gandhism. Stop talking and start acting. Get the evils punished, let the world see the Nation has zero tolerance for terrorism.

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